The SOMM Journal

August/September 2014

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4 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 { letter from the publisher } contributors D Staying (Inter)Active PHOTO: MONA SHIELD PAYNE o you remember your camp days when you were a kid? What were your favorite activities? For me, it was horseback riding and archery and in the evenings sitting around campfires or mess halls talking with the new friends I made that summer. So many of my most rewarding experiences in this business is reliving a similar experience in wine country: traipsing through vineyards with industry friends— whether it be sommeliers, distributors or winemakers—and being in the fresh air, talking about agriculture and tasting the results of the winery's labor. With our first reports on SOMM Camps in this issue, Camp Director (and Editor- at-Large) Randy Caparoso allows you to live vicariously through his vivid report from Paso Robles as 19 sommeliers joined him for a trek through vines and enjoying talks and tastings with winemakers. Contributing Editor Courtney Humiston, herself a working sommelier, was our Camp Director in Sonoma, walking our "professional" campers through the diverse soils of the Alexander Valley. Up next issue is our Women in Wine SOMM Camp in Oakville. Our goal at The SOMM Journal is to stay interactive with you, the reader. Take, for instance, Lana Bortolot's "Quaff Report," mixing some of New York's most high- profile wine pros for a blind tasting. And every month, Anthony Dias Blue will form a panel of local buyers to taste through some stunning verticals. You see, we can't do this without you. We've had an overwhelming response to our launch, but we aim to keep up the momentum, continue to improve the educa - tional aspect and keep you busy reading—and ultimately learning at the same time. Meridith May Publisher and Editorial Director SARAH BRAY is a wine lover in pursuit of defining the nuances of the bottles she loves, exploring new places through new tastes and finding enjoyment in a simple yet excellent glass of wine with friends and family over a meal. She currently holds an Advanced Certification from the Wines & Spirits Education Trust and is a Diploma candidate. You can follow her writing at aglassofvino.com. MARGUERITE RICHARDS is a freelance writer and editorial consultant following her fancy for travel and culture, which inevitably exposes her to good food, good wine, and especially, good people. Currently, she's striking a happy harmony between life in France and the San Francisco Bay Area. Next on the agenda: getting her hands dirty during the wine harvest on the Vermilion Coast. JASON TESAURO is a thrower of ink, striker of nerve and father of note with two national magazine awards, three books and five children based in Richmond, VA. As a sommelier and food and wine journalist, he also serves as an ambas- sador for the Virginia wine industry and contributes to The New York Times and Decanter. ANNE KREBIEHL is a German-born freelance wine writer based in London. Her work has been published in English, American and German trade and consumer publications, including The World of Fine Wine, Wine Enthusiast and Falstaff. She also consults for London restaurants, judges wine competitions, translates wine-related texts and lectures on wine. She has a particular love for German, Austrian, Italian and New Zealand wines. She has harvested and helped to make wine in New Zealand, Germany and Italy. ERIC HEMER is Senior Vice President, Director of Wine Education at Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. He is one of only four people ever to earn both Master of Wine and Master Sommelier credentials. Eric is affiliated with several prestigious wine institutions, including the Society of Wine Educators, Wine and Spirits Education Trust, the Court of Master Sommeliers and the Institute of Masters of Wine. He resides in Lake Worth, Florida with his wife Marianne and their daughter Julia. JOE ROBERTS is a writer and musician in the greater Philadelphia area. His work has appeared in Playboy. com, Answers.com, PalatePress.com, Publix Grape magazine, The Guardian and Parade. He holds the Level 3 Certificate in Wine & Spirits from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, and the Society of Wine Educators Certified Specialist of Wine certification. Roberts was included among the top fifteen entries in IntoWine.com's list of 100 Most Influential People in the U.S. Wine Industry for 2013. Follow him on Twitter at @1winedude. KARA NEWMAN is a New York–based writer who focuses on wine, spirits and cocktails. She's the author of Cocktails for a Crowd (Chronicle Books, 2013). Although she's judged many a cocktail competition, covering this story for The SOMM Journal marks the first time she's ever participated as a contestant. AMY ZAVATTO's writing about wine, coffee, spirits and food has appeared in Every Day with Rachael Ray and Edible Manhattan and on Foxnews.com, Frommers.com and many others. She is the author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Bartending and A Hedonist Guide to Eat New York, and co-authored The Renaissance Guide to Wine & Food Pairing. She holds an Advanced Certificate in Wines & Spirits from the WSET in London. She lives in New York City. Meridith May with (left) Tim McDonald of Wine Spoken Here, Director of Judging at the San Francisco International Wine Competition, and (right) Kevin Vogt, MS, Wine Director, Emeril Lagasse Las Vegas. Photo taken at The SOMM Journal's Auchentoshan/Bowmore dinner at Milos at The Cosmopolitan. Read about it on page 56. PHOTO: DARYL-ANN SAUNDERS

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